The Innocents (1961)
Directed by Jack Clayton
Genres - Mystery, Thriller |
Sub-Genres - Haunted House Film, Gothic Film, Supernatural Horror |
Release Date - Nov 24, 1961 (USA - Unknown), Dec 15, 1961 (USA) |
Run Time - 99 min. |
Countries - United Kingdom |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
In this lugubrious but brilliantly realized adaptation of Henry James' classic novella The Turn of the Screw, 19th century British governess Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) arrives at a bleak mansion to take care of Flora (Pamela Franklin) and Miles (Martin Stephens), the wealthy household's two children. Outwardly the children are little darlings, but the governess begins to feel that there's something unwholesome behind those beatific smiles. After several disturbing examples of the children's evil impulses, Miss Giddens gets information from the housekeeper (Megs Jenkins) that suggests that the children may be possessed by malign spirits -- or are all these events just the products of Miss Giddens's own imagination? The best and most frightening vignette in The Innocents occurs when the governess casually kisses young Miles, then recoils in horror when she realizes that someone other than Miles has kissed her back. Unlike many CinemaScope productions, The Innocents plays better in the claustrophobic confines of the TV screen.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
governess, country-estate, boy, girl, ghost, haunted, possession, servant, soul
Attributes
High Artistic Quality